Revitalizing Your Climbing Wall

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climbing wall can give your facility a boost—bringing in new members and keeping existing members interested in your offerings. But if you've noticed some drop-off in the number of people using your wall, you might need to devote some time and resources to refreshing your offerings.

Q: Our climbing wall has been in place for several years and is showing some signs of wear and tear. What should we know about maintaining the wall?

A: It's wise to stay on top of troublesome maintenance issues as they arise. Wall maintenance items and services are available to extend the life and appearance of your climbing wall.

You can find do-it-yourself, easy-to-use texture products that can update the appearance of your wall. Retexturing will give your wall a new, clean and modern appearance while providing your facility with renewed impact.

An extremely durable, liquid acrylic surface coating has been created especially for climbing walls. It is available in 20 colors and can be applied with a roller or a hopper gun. The coating will feel dry to the touch in 24 hours and fully cured in seven to 10 days. You can also find a low-cost, durable, paintable texture for climbing walls that is easy to apply and requires no special equipment. This second option is dry to the touch in hours and suitable for climbing in about three to five days.

Q: How can we boost our existing climbing wall program?

A: A comprehensive climbing wall training program may be what is needed. Look for an interactive program that addresses the main topics related to the successful operation of any climbing program, as well as common, routine maintenance.

Some training programs are customizable and can be delivered in one or two days at your facility. Participation in the program not only benefits current and future staff, but also current and future climbers and users of the climbing wall.

While training staff is highly recommended when opening a new facility, it is also valuable as a refresher for current staff. Topics discussed can include possible safety issues, how to add structure and content to an existing climbing program, reducing incidents through continuing education, risk management, maintenance, how to teach a lesson, as well as belaying, technique, leading, rappelling, equipment demonstrations, use and storage, and route setting.

Q: How can we refresh our current climbers' experience?

A: The climbing experience and the routes you offer are the product you deliver to your customers. Route setting and route setting training are important aspects of a successful climbing wall program.

Setters are available to come to your facility, and a customer-tailored route setting and training package can get your staff acquainted with the subtleties of creating fun and exciting routes for your users.